Lubrication apparatus



Aug. 18, 1942, wfs. BROWN LU BRICATION. APPARATUS- Filed Aug. 30, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Aug. 18, 1942 LUBRICATION APPARATUS Wiley G. Brown, Charlotte, N. C., assignor of fifty per cent to William Y. Brown, and fifty per cent to Robert Garland, both of Charlotte, N. C.

Application August 30, 1941, Serial No. 409,030

Claims.

This invention relates to a lubrication apparatus and more especially to one wherein the effective stroke of the pumping piston is automatically controlled by the pressure in the delivery hose.

It is an object of this invention to provide a lubrication apparatus in which a pump cylinder and a grease container are slidably supported in cantilevered relation to a framework which, in turn, supports a reciprocating pump piston and a driving means therefor. As a means for automatically varying the effective stroke of the piston, the-pressure created by the pump piston serves to extend the cantilevered position of the pump piston and the grease container and thereby decrease the depth of penetration of the pump piston into the cylinder. By employing this cantilevered relation between the framework and the grease container, the entire assembly is held in a more stable position during the operation because the chief vibration will be imparted primarily to the container and not to the framework. This vibration will serve to move the grease to the bottom of the container and also serve to keep the top surface of the grease substantially level at all times, as it is being pumped from the container.

It is another object of this invention to provide a lubrication apparatus which is driven by an internal combustion engine and which employs the exhaust from the engine for heating the lubricant as it is being pumped. This heat causes heavy greases to fiow more easily and thereby facilitates pumping and greasing operations. Such arrangement is especially useful during the winter months, when temperatures are lowered and the grease becomes less fluid, thereby retarding the flow of the grease.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved lubrication apparatus;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 5-5 in Figures 1 and 3;

Figure 3 is an elevation of the lubrication apparatus omitting the grease dispensing fitting and a portion of the connecting hose;

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 44 in Figure 1, showing the details of the pumping and automatic stroke adjusting mechanism;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 5-5 in Figures 1 and 3;

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

the numeral l0 denotes a platform, usually made of boiler plate or the like. This platform has one end thereof supported by a pair of wheels I I and its other end supported by a caster wheel l2, said caster wheel being rotatably mounted in a caster l3, which caster in turn is pivotally mounted for rotation about a vertical axis as at M to the lower portion of the plate member l0.

' The platform I0 supports a prime mover such as an internal combustion engine I5 which has associated therewith a gear reduction housing It in which suitable reduction gears, not shown, are mounted. Extending from this housing, and connected to the reduction gears, is a drive shaft I! upon which a circular cam I8 is eccentrically mounted. This cam is adapted to rotate in a Scotch yoke I9, which yoke has alined shafts-20 and 2| extending from opposed sides thereof and which are slidably mounted in spaced frames or posts 22. These frames are secured to the upper portion of the platform In by any suitable means such as stud bolts 23 (Figure 4). Disposed between the two frames 22 and around cam 18 is a casing 25, said casing 25 having a plug 26 threadably secured in one side thereof. Plug 26 closes an opening through which a suitable lubricant Z1 is adapted to be admitted into the casing. This lubricant is illustrated in Figure 4 and serves to lubricate the parts I! to 2| inclusive during the operation of the pump.

The shaft 20 has extending from the left hand end thereof (Figures 3 and 4); a smaller shaft 30, said shaft being employed as a piston. This piston reciprocates back and forth in a bore 3| of pump cylinder 32, said pump cylinder having radially disposed bores 33 therein, through which grease or other lubricant is permitted to enter the bore 3| from compartment 34 of a lubricant container 35. An upper or main lubricant container 36 is secured to the upper rim of lower container 35 by any suitable means such as stud bolts 36a. The pump cylinder 32 has anenlarged head portion 31 and a threaded end portion 38 which is of smaller diameter than the head portion. When this cylinder is installed as shown in Figure 4, the head portion 31 fits againstthe outer sidewall of the lower container 35 and the threaded portion 38 is threadably secured in the opposite wall of the lower container; The lower container 35 is supported by the left hand ends of a pair of horizontally disposed shafts 39. Each of these shafts has an enlarged portion 39a; a medium sized portion 39b and a small portion 390. The medium sized portions 395 are slidably mounted in one of the spaced frames 22, and the small portion 390 is slidably mounted in the other of said frames. The right hand end of each of the inside portions 3% has threadably secured thereon a nut 42 which is employed for confining a compression spring 43 around the bolt and forcing it against one of the frames 22. The spring 43 serves to normally urge shafts 39 and containers 35 and 36 toward the frame members 22 to thereby diminish the amount of cantilevered mass extending from the frame.

When it is desired to increase or decrease the normal pressure which urges the cantilevered structure toward the frames,'it.is only necessary to manipulate nuts 42. It is therefore, seen that the springs 43 yieldingly force the containers 35 and 36, the pump cylinder 32 and associated supporting rods 38 toward the frames 22 at all times.

The left hand end of pump cylinder 32 has threadably secured thereto a fitting 45, said 'fitting having a small bore 46 in the right hand end thereof (Figure 4.) which communicates with the bore 3| in the pump cylinder. Communicating with the left hand portion of the bore 46 and within the fitting 45 is an enlarged bore or compartment 48 which receives a ball check valve 49 and a compression spring 58 for holding the ball in position over bore 46. A fitting is threadably secured to the left hand end of bore 48, and to this fitting a suitable flexible dispensing conduit or pressure hose 53 is secured, said hose having a conventional dispensing nozzle 54 secured to its other end.

In order to relieve the compartment '48 from air pockets, which occasionally accumulate, a bore 56 is provided at substantially right angles to the longitudinal axis of this compartment. In the upper portion of this bore 56, a valve shaft 5! is threadably secured, which when closed will normally close the communication between the bore 48 and the exterior by way of bores 56 and 68. The bore 60 isangularly disposed, relative .to bore 56 and its communication with compartment 48 is regulated by the position of shaft 51.

It is very desirable that means he provided for automatically jacking the lower compartment 35 and the associated pump cylinder 32 away from the framework 22 as the pressure increases in compartment 48, so that the effective stroke of the piston Will be reduced. For example, when there is no grease being dispensed from the nozzle 54 during the operation of the pump, it is desirable to have the internal combustion engine I5 continue to run and at the same time, decrease the stroke of the piston as it reciprocates to a point where it will not pump any grease from the lower container 35. Furthermore, if only a small amount of grease is being dispensed, it is not desired to completely render the stroke of the piston 30 ineffective; however, it is desirable to reduce the effective stroke an amount corresponding to the pressure which is alined with bore 63a in cylinder 63.

The means for jacking the lower container 36 and the associated pump cylinder 32 away from the framework 22 and reciprocating piston 30 as the pressure is built up, comprises a pair of plungers 62, each of said plungers being slidably mounted in a cylinder 63. Each cylinder 63 has an enlarged head portion 64 and a smaller threaded end 65. The head portion 64 is held inface te face contact with the outer wall of the container 35 while the other end is threadably secured in the opposite wall. A plug 66 is threadably secured in the head of each cylinder 63 and each plug has a bore 61 therein which is alined with bore 63 in cylinder 63. Each plug 66 also has a pipe 68 leading therefrom. The pipe 68 communicates with another pipe 69 (Figure 2) which in turn communicates with the interior of compartment or bore 48 in fitting 45.

The pressure created by the reciprocation of the piston 30 within the pump cylinder 32 is transmitted to the compartment 48 and the check valve 49 prevents its backward escape after once being builtup. This pressure is transmitted by way of pipes68 and 69 to the compartments 6311 within the cylinders 13 and thereby forces .the pistons 62 to the right in Figure 4 and against the nearest frame member 22. When a pressure is built up within the compartment 48, the corresponding amount of pressure is transmitted to the plungers 62 and therefore the cantilevered position of the containers 35 and 36 and associated parts will be extended. On the other hand as the pressure is diminished by permitting grease to flow from nozzle 64, the reverse action will take place and therefore the containers will move toward the framework 22.

Figure 4 shows the position of the parts when no pressure exists in compartments 3| and 49, and with the piston 39 in extreme right hand position. In this position, the left hand end of piston 35 will penetrate the pump cylinder 32 a maximum amount when reciprocated, and therefore pump grease into the delivery hose 53 for practically its entire stroke to the left. Of course, as the cantilevered position of the container'is increased the amount of penetration of the piston 38 to the left of holes 33 will be'correspondingly decreased and therefore, the amount of pressure increased for each stroke will gradually diminish until the maximum pressure is stored up in the delivery hose.

When the predetermined pressure has been reached, as controlled by the position of the nut 42 on shaft 38, the extreme penetration of the left hand end of piston 30 into the pump cylinder 32 will be substantially the center line of the holes 33; consequently, no additional pres sure will be built up and neither will any grease be expelled. from bore 38 into compartment 48, until pressure is relieved from the delivery hose.

If thick greases are used, it is often necessary to heat the same to make it more fluid and workable. Where an internal combustion engine is used such as shown in the drawings, it has been found very desirable to use the exhaust from the engine as a heating agent. To this end, a suitable two-way valve i0 has been secured to exhaust pipe H of engine I 5. One leg of this valve has a conventional exhaust pipe 12 extending therefrom upon which a muffler 13 is secured. Another leg of the valve 18 has a flexible conduit or pipe l4 extending therefrom, the other end of which leads into the bottom portion of housing 15 as at 16 (Figure 4). This housing 15 extends upwardly on each side of the lower compartment container 36 thereby forming compartments 18, and the upper ends of these compartments l8 communicate with a cylindrical housing 19 disposed around the lower portion of the upper container 36 and. also in spaced relation to the sidewalls thereof. The upper portion of the housing 19 has a plurality of openings which are employed as an exhaust outlet. When it is desired to direct the exhaust from the engine l through pipes H and M and into housing I5, it is necessary to manipulate a wing valve plug 8| and turn it to the bold line position as shown in Figure 1. On the other hand if it is desired to direct the exhaust through pipes H, 12 and muffler 13 the member 8| will be turned to dotted line position.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth inthe following claims.

I claim:

1. Lubrication apparatus comprising a framework, a lubricant container slidably supported by said framework, and in cantilevered relation thereto, a motor mounted on the framework, a piston in the framework and having a driving connection with the motor, a pump cylinder mounted in said container, and adapted to receive said piston, a delivery conduit leading from said cylinder, and pressure operated means connected to the delivery conduit for extending the cantilevered position of said container and cylinder from said framework whereby the amount of penetration of the piston into the cylinder will be reduced.

2. Lubrication apparatus comprising a framework, a lubricant container slidably supported by said framework and in cantilevered relation thereto, means for yieldingly urging said container toward the framework, a motor mounted on the framework, a piston slidably mounted in the framework and having a driving connection with the motor, a pump cylinder mounted in said container and adapted to receive said piston, a d livery conduit leading from said cylinder, said cylinder having at least one opening therein whereby communication between said container and the interior of the cylinder will be provided, and pressure operated means connected to the delivery conduit for extending the cantilevered position of said container and cylinder from said framework whereby the amount of penetration of the piston into the cylinder will be reduced.

3. Lubrication apparatus comprising a framework, a pair of horizontally disposed rods slidably mounted in said framework, said rods being cantilevered with respect to the framework and having a lubricant container mounted in the cantilevered ends, a spring for each rod for yieldingly urging the container towards said framework, a motor on the framework, a horizontally disposed piston in the framework and having a driving connection with the motor, a pump cylinder mounted in said container and adapted to receive said piston, a delivery hose leading from said pump cylinder, a pressure cylinder carried by said container and having a second piston slidably mounted therein for engaging said framework, and a piped connection between the conduit and said pressure cylinder whereby the cantilevered container and pump cylinder will be moved away from said framework as the pressure in the delivery hose increases.

4. Lubrication apparatus comprising a framework, a lubricant container slidably supported by said framework, and in cantilevered relation thereto, a motor mounted on the framework, a piston in the framework and having a driving connection with the motor, a pump cylinder mounted in said container and adapted to receive said piston, a delivery hose leading from said pump cylinder, a pressure cylinder carried by said container and having a second piston slidably mounted therein for engaging said framework, a piped connection between the delivery hose and said pressure cylinder whereby the cantilevered container and pump cylinder will be moved away from said framework as the ressure in the delivery hose increases, and spring means for normally urging the container and cylinder towards the framework.

5. Lubrication apparatus comprising a framework, a horizontally disposed rod slidably mounted in said framework, said rod being cantilevered with respect to the framework, and having a lubricant container mounted on the cantilevered. end, a spring for yieldingly urging the container toward said framework, a motor on the framework, a horizontally disposed piston in the framework and having a driving connection with the motor, a pump cylinder mounted in said container and adapted to receive said piston, a delivery hose leading from said pump cylinder, a pressure cylinder carried by said container and having a second piston slidably mounted therein for engaging said framework, and a piped connection between the conduit and said pressure cylinder whereby the cantilevered container and pump cylinder will be moved away from said framework as the pressure in the delivery hose increases.

WILEY G. BROWN. 

